Bigbank TARTU taking on new adventure with historic #CLVolleyM debut
News
Reigning Estonian champions Bigbank TARTU are taking on a new challenge as they make their historic debut in the elite CEV Champions League Volley.
The first opponent in the first preliminary round is Swiss club Lindaren Volley AMRISWIL - a 4-time Swiss champion and 6-time national cup winner. The visitors have a high-level international team, including players from Serbia, Cuba, Argentina, Germany, Greece and Switzerland. The main attacking forces are the Serbian opposite Milija Mrdak and Cuban outside-hitter Luis Sosa.
Bigbank TARTU, on the other hand, only have Estonian players on their roster, with many newcomers in the team this season. One of the most important additions is the experienced outside hitter Martti Juhkami – who played in the group stage of the CEV Champions League last season with Germany’s VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN.
Alar Rikberg“AMRISWIL have experienced players who have played in top leagues and national teams, so it will be a big challenge for us but we will fight and give everything we have to get as far as possible and enjoy good-level matches. This year’s team is put together keeping in mind that we are playing in Champions League as this is very important for the club.”
Head coach of Bigbank TARTU
The captain of Bigbank – setter Kert Toobal is still recovering from injury and his replacement until the end of 2021 is Aleksander Eerma who leads the attacks of the Estonian team together with Ronald Järv. The Estonian club also has new blood in the opposite-hitter position as young and powerful Valentin Kordas (22) will be performing at this level for the very first time in his career. Big experience comes from the libero position, where Rait Rikberg (the brother of head coach Alar Rikberg) is leading the forces.
Lindaren Volley AMRISWIL finished fifth in the CEV Cup in 2019, whereas the Estonian club contested their last European competition in the 2014/2015 season – more specifically the CEV Challenge Cup.